Against a global backdrop where small island developing states (SIDS) face persistent challenges in strengthening public health infrastructure, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda is advancing its goal of building long-term healthcare resilience and inclusive sustainable development by expanding strategic international partnerships with two global non-profit stakeholders: Mercy Ships Australia and the Margo Hartley Foundation.
A high-level diplomatic meeting recently brought together top Antigua and Barbuda government officials and leadership from the partner organizations. Attendees from the Caribbean nation included Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs Michael Joseph, and Minister of Tourism Charles Fernandez. Representing the partner groups were Alan Burrell, Founder of the Burrell Family Office and Managing Director of Mercy Ships Australia, and Margo Hartley OAM, Founder of the Margo Hartley Foundation.
During the productive talks, Prime Minister Browne opened by voicing sincere gratitude for the years of collaborative support and steadfast friendship that Mercy Ships Australia and its affiliated partners have extended to Antigua and Barbuda. The current bilateral cooperation builds on a foundation laid during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the two partner organizations stepped in to deliver critical donations of personal protective equipment and essential medical supplies. That early aid directly boosted the Caribbean nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to public health crises, laying early groundwork for improved healthcare resilience. The partnership was further solidified in 2024, when the organizations supported Antigua and Barbuda as it hosted the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4).
This expanding collaboration has been facilitated in large part by the persistent outreach of Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Aurbry Webson. Looking ahead, the partnership will continue through joint work with the SIDS Centre of Excellence, which is headquartered in Antigua and Barbuda, creating ongoing opportunities for shared learning and capacity building across all SIDS.
As part of their visit to the nation, Burrell and Hartley also conducted an official tour of the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, the country’s leading healthcare institution. During the tour, they held in-depth talks with the hospital’s senior leadership team, led by Acting Director of Administration Dr. Acheabea Dyer. These conversations gave the visiting delegation first-hand insight into the medical centre’s current strategic priorities and the ongoing work underway to upgrade healthcare access and patient outcomes for all communities across Antigua and Barbuda.
On behalf of the entire hospital staff, Dr. Dyer expressed gratitude for a recent generous contribution: two 40-foot shipping containers packed full of critically needed medical supplies that the institution had long sought. She also recognized the ongoing commitment of the delegation to supporting the nation’s entire healthcare sector.
The two sides used the meeting to align on core priority areas for future collaboration. Key topics included the ongoing national campaign to combat non-communicable diseases, which disproportionately impact small island states, with a specific focus on hypertension and diabetes. Other priorities covered were innovative early screening programs for both pediatric and adult populations, national public education initiatives focused on nutrition and holistic wellness, and the Antigua and Barbuda government’s renewed national push to expand mental health awareness and accessible care.
Following the tour and discussions, Burrell and Hartley praised the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre’s unwavering commitment to lifting quality of life and advancing wellbeing for all residents of Antigua and Barbuda.
For its part, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda reaffirmed its long-term commitment to cultivating impact-driven international collaborations that deliver tangible progress: stronger, more resilient national healthcare systems, better population-level public health outcomes, and enhanced national capacity to weather future public health and development challenges.